1915 Taftville Fire
The New London, Willimantic & Palmer Railroad (NLW&P) was was the first railroad to provide a direct rail line between Norwich and New London. Prior to 1848 travelers had to take a steamship from Chelsea Harbor to the mouth of the Thames.
In general, passengers and freight was transported quickly and safely. However, on March 17, 1853 the train ran off the rails. Wood-engraving from the Illustrated News, April 16, 1853. The accident occurred about two miles south of the city of Norwich on March 17, 1853. A locomotive on the New London, Willimantic & Palmer Railroad ran off the track and ran into a house, detaching the kitchen and buttery. A woman inside the house was injured but no one was killed. An article Illustrated News 04/16/1853 magazine states:
Acknowledgements
Caulkins – page 552
Railway & Locomotive Historical Society
JSTOR
1938 Hurricane of 1938
Packing a storm surge of 12-15 feet and winds of more than 120 mph, the Category 3 hurricane caused $400,000,000 ($7.3 billion in today's dollars) in property damage, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
*Place cursor over images to magnify
This photos shows the washed-out railroad tracks and the Norwich railroad freight house (near present-day downtown Norwich) after the hurricane.
The photo shows how present-day Howard T. Brown Park looked after the hurricane struck.
The photo shows Captain Howell of the Salvation Army lending a had on flooded Franklin Street. On September 21, 1938, the region suffered a monster hurricane. Tragically underestimated, the hurricane barged into the region with little warning, killing nearly 600 people in New England and destroying 9,000 homes and businesses and 2,600 boats.
The Thames River flooded into Franklin Square and caused property damage across the region due to downed trees and branches and extensive flooding.
The photo on the left shows the destruction of railroad freight house at the site of present-day Howard T. Brown Park.
Acknowledgements
“Hurricane Views ~ September 21, 1938,” by Miles E. Standish, published by the Norwich Bulletin
“Hurricane of 1938 Devastated the Region,” (09/27/2009), by Bill Stanley
“Norwich Firefighters Use A Rowboat to Navigate Franklin Square.” Published in the Norwich Bulletin 09/21/2008
The complete list of sources may be found by clicking the “Bibliography” button, and, then typing “hurricane” in the SEARCH box.
1954 Air France Airplane Crash
On August 3, 1954 Air France Flight 075, a trans-Atlantic flight originating in Paris and bound for Mexico City, came to rest about 50 feet from the homestead on the Valentine Sebastian farm in Preston.
The 1955 Civil Aeronautic Board report listed “inadequate in-flight planning” as the probable crash cause. The pilot “did not take a firm selection of a suitable airport within range of the fuel remaining at the time of the missed approach.”
Even though the plane exploded and burst into flames, all twenty-nine passengers and eight crew members survived. However, six passengers and three crewmen were hospitalized. Most of the passengers were released from the hospital within days. One survivor, textile executive Aaron Rosenstein, gave out 10 checks for $100 in gratitude to Backus Hospital, the state police, the Sebastian family and several of the fire companies.
The German prince, 30 year-old Alfons Langerburg, told of how he kicked open the plane’s wing door after the crash to escape. He said he barely missed being hit by an exploding engine. The prince made news again the following year, when he married a 15 year old Austrian princess in Rome.
Acknowledgements
“All on Board Survived 1954 Plane Crash in Preston” , 08/22/2007, by Bill Stanley
Wikipedia
New York Times 08/04/1954